The Baseballs

The Baseballs emerged from Berlin in 2007 as a German rock & roll outfit devoted to reinterpreting recent pop smashes through a fusion of rockabilly rhythms and Elvis Presley-inspired vocals. Outfitted with pompadours and sideburns to match their 1950s revival look, the group centers on three singers identified only as Sam, Digger, and Basti, supported by Lars Vegas on guitar, Klaas Wendling on upright bass, Jan Miserre at the piano, and Tomas Svensson behind the drums. Their first release arrived in 2009 as the single “Umbrella,” a rock & roll treatment of Rihanna’s recent chart-topper, followed soon after by the full-length Strike!. That album climbed to the Top Five in Switzerland, the Top Ten in Germany, and the Top 20 in Austria while showcasing the band’s versions of Usher’s “Love in This Club,” Plain White T’s’ “Hey There Delilah,” and Katy Perry’s “Hot N Cold.” In 2011 they issued their second album, Strings ‘n’ Stripes, again filling it with updated takes on contemporary hits such as Katy Perry’s “California Gurls,” Will Smith’s “Miami,” and 50 Cent’s “Candy Shop.” A seasonal collection titled Good Ol’ Christmas appeared the following year. Game Day reached listeners in 2014, marking the group’s fourth Top 30 entry on the German charts, and 2016 brought Hit Me Baby…, which reworked songs by Take That, Destiny’s Child, Ace of Base, and Britney Spears en route to a Top Ten placement. Late in 2017 the band marked its tenth anniversary with The Sun Sessions, a sixteen-track roundup of its most popular covers.